The Old Guard is a modest and elegant style wine. The aroma and taste are mineral, with a complex flavor that is somewhat savory. It is a modest and gentle style wine. The name means "old-fashioned". The Old Guard is a modest and elegant style wine. The aroma and taste are mineral, with a complex flavor that is somewhat savory. It is a modest and gentle style wine. The name means "old-fashioned". The aroma is like honey, guava, lemon peel, and apricot. The taste is reminiscent of juicy nectarines, with a delicious taste of fresh fruit and lively acidity. There are also nuances of unadorned oak, and it is a wine that is fresh and serious, with depth and balance. – Matt Dees, WinemakerThe Hilt is a premium winery that produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its own vineyards on the coast of Santa Barbara County. Owned by Stan Kroenke, owner of Screaming Eagle, a synonymous name for California cult wine, The Hilt is known as a sister winery to Screaming Eagle. The wine is made by Matt Deas, a young and talented winemaker with a promising future. Matt is an expert in making wines with a "transparent" feel, and is able to express the terroir of the vineyard directly in the wine. He specializes in winemaking science, and is known as a soil nerd. The Hilt's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are wines that can only be made by a soil nerd like him. The grapes used in The Hilt's wines are grown in a very harsh natural environment. The Santa Rita Hills AVA, which stretches from east to west, is complex and divided into four areas: north-facing, south-facing, near the Pacific Ocean, and inland. The vineyards used by The Hilt are closer to the Pacific Ocean and are north-facing plots that are influenced by sea breezes. Although it is known to be a very difficult area to grow, it is said that the best grapes grow there. The area where The Hilt is based is known as Rancho Salsipuedes, and is located 20km inland from the Pacific Ocean. This is an undulating plateau with no obstacles blocking the cold winds that blow in from the sea, with a variety of altitudes, aspects, soils, and microclimates. This diversity of vineyards gives The Hilt's wines their unique character and complexity. Rancho Salsipuedes has three vineyards of its own: Radian, Bentrock, and Puerta del Mar. The Hilt produces three blended wines from these vineyards with different styles. The main lineup is The Vanguard, which uses a lot of new barrels to give it a fruity flavor and structure, The Old Guard, which uses mainly old barrels to feature the delicacy and aromas of the Old World, and an estate wine that is a blend of the two extreme wines with nuances that are just in the middle. In 2019, the long-awaited winery was completed on the Puerta del Mar site.